Look around the league, RB's don't last long and most of them were drafted and developed by their current team. This revolving door at RB needs to stop. The Maroney experiment failed and its time for the Pats to use their first round pick on a RB. The last good running back this team had was Corey Dillon and that's too long ago.

Definitely a RB to begin with. Sorry Maroney, you just did not prove yourself this year. Time to move on. Of course, there are a lot of issues with this team. Unfortunately, it is very difficult for the franchise and fans to take a step backwards to rebuild certain areas of the team. If they had only had one or two seasons of success, it would not be so painful. However, when a team has been so successful for 10 years, it hurts not to be the best in the division or league any longer. Hopefully next year Brady will be 100%, Edelman will emerge as a star receiver, Wes will be back and healthy, Randy will return to form, and our defense will mature. Have a good offseason guys, I am moving on to my Red Sox.

Before they get a running back, they should get an offensive coordinator who calls running plays. Almost the entire game they were in spread formations, and the only running plays they called (with one or two exceptions) were draws. I know they were playing from behind, but there was no reason to give up on the run in the first quarter, even with a 14-point deficit. There was still plenty of time to score three touchdowns. This offense was just too one-dimensional this game--and all season. They must be the easiest offense in the NFL to game plan against.

ronf- you said the key word. spread offense.it dosent matter what we want the pats want and will continue the spread offense.which means a big time running back wont get drafted in the first round.they might grab one out of the free agency,but they wont draft one with a high pick.not to mention they would need o-linemen who are great at run blocking and opening running lanes.they dont have them.for if they did we would have seen better results from the backs we have.

No doubt about it. They NEED a big time (YOUNG!) stud at RB. They really need to hit on this in this upcoming off-season either 'keep' their 1st rder and pick one there or sign a big time free agent RB (if there is one out there). Need a play action again....we got nothing now.

Goal-line fumbles aside, Maroney had an acceptable year, and there's no need to go out and waste a high pick on a guy like C.J. Spiller when this offensive line is in its current state. Notice I'm not saying its acceptable for a former first-round pick, but that train of thought has to be let go- we spent the pick, he's with the team, that part of it is long over. If need be , we have the high pick from the Raiders in a year and can wait on Ingram, who would most likely come out.

Well its tough for the Offensive coordinator to call a lot of running plays when your already down 24 points in the first Qtr. Its frustrating to see other teams ( like Dallas for example ) who have 3 RBs who are easily capable of 100 yds a game and we dont even have one. Not to mention that even if Edelman can break out next season while Wes is out, we still need a solid 3rd Receiver. We lost that once we traded Stallworth. The screen game and short passes won't get us far next season. We will be even easier to predict.

It's not about what the Patriots need. It's about what they don't need: They don't need "me-first" guys like Moss and Adalius Thomas. That's the first thing. Cut those two guys and they're a better team right away.

Scroticus, Brady would be here after McCoys contract is up, so that would be a total waste of a pick. Brady will last 5 yrs or more. Most 1rd picks are 5 yrs, so we are going to pay him to be on the bench, get almost no value from him, then let him go into free agency? Yeah, you should run the team with thinking like that.

1st Rd Rb, there are a ton of very good RBs in this draft. No need to waste a 1st rd pick on one. Get an OLB that will solidify a side of the D for 10 years vs a Rb that will last on average 5-6. Plus the talent is very high for RB's in the 2nd rd. Ray Rice, 2nd rd, is a perfect example.

Fumblina Maroney should stay but in a back-up role next season. He has proven in his 4 years here is doesn't have the talent and field awareness to be the #1 RB. I would say "goodbye" to Taylor and Morris. They did nothing to deserve a roster spot next season. Clearly, Brady is not the same and all the reason more why the Patriots must upgrade at RB through the draft or free agency. Brady no longer has the ability to carry the team without a reliable running game.

I think the #1 need is a smart offensive coordinator! I mean, do we even know what O'Brien or whatever his name is, looks like? Any NFL game you watch they consistently show the OC on the sidelines during a game. I don't recall them ever showing our OC or barely mention that we even have one! How they could let Charlie W slip through their fingers is beyond me. I just can't believe how unprepared this team was and how they reacted in this game. There was no leadership, no fight and certainly no "team" effort. They should have all stayed home for the way they played that game. They need a lot of help and it will take years to rebuild what the Patriot way is all about. Letting go of Vrabel and Seymour did not help the morale of the defense and if you think about it, it did impact this team all season long. Veteran leadership is key and it just was not there this season. I hope Bill B is in his office today trying to figure out what to do first because they need a ton of help.

One of the issues I see is we are good at most things, but great at nothing. We have decent players everywhere, but few stars that make a HUGE impact. I hate to say it, but Randy has lost a step. Welker is awesome, but has to recover. Laura Maroney is a back up at best. We need younger RBs. We need a 3rd WR. On D we have Mayo, hopefully Wilfork again, Warren, but other than TBC few guys that made a difference. We need vocal team leaders that are also beasts

Regardless of your opinion about the talent level of our runningbacks or any other position for that matter, it's painfully obvious that we werent going to run the ball against the Ravens. We were a finesse team yesterday and got blown out of the water with smash mouth football.

Adrian Peterson wouldn't have helped yesterday if he only got one carry. You guys are overlooking one crucial aspect of this season; WE DIDNT LOSE BECAUSE WE LACKED THE TALENT.

Teams less talented than us, including the Ravens made the playoffs and are moving on. We need to pay an offensive coordinator and possibly another defensive coach. Delay of game penalties, costly timeouts and players moving around the field pre-snap looking lost is a prime indicator of a bigger problem.

Both Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor can run the ball like 1-A backs, even if Maroney is terrible the other two should have carried the rock. We have one of, if not the most talented team in the league, no individual player can be blamed for poor leadership and tight purse strings. Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel are suddenly looking really good now... but wearing Kansas City red.

The Pats don't just need a RB, they need a hammer (Toby Gerhart anyone?). They need a punisher that wears down defences and can kill the clock in the fourth quarter, someone who can take it right up the middle on forth and one.

Fact is, the Pats have many needs. This "gotta' have a running back" b-s rolls around every season. The Patriots never did replace Heath Evans and his role in the Pats offensive backfield was sadly missed. From protecting Brady to blowing up linebackers on lead blocks, the position never got filled.The Pats need help @ Linebacker, D-lineman, O-lineman, Safety, Receiver, Corner...... U name it - there's a need. Personally, I'd like to see better continuity(or a shakeup) between Coach Bill, Dean Pees and Bill O'Brien because they looked like rank amateurs so often this past season. I've never seen a team appear so Jekyll + Hyde from game to game, and during a game, as well. Simply ridiculous. Heads will certainly be rolling this off-season and there won't be a cut that would surprise me(starting with Matt Light, btw).